'I chased him down barefoot'; Fed up with neighbourhood crime, former army reservist taking matters into his own hands

LONDON, Ont. — Fed up with petty crime in his neighbourhood, Dave Henry decided to take matters into his own hands.

The 30-year-old Londoner said thieves were rummaging through unlocked vehicles at night and committing other petty crimes on his quiet Old South street.

A former army reservist with a martial arts background, Henry has collared three would-be thieves in the past three months — physically restraining them until police arrived. That’s made him a celebrated resident on his street.

"It’s just choosing not to be a victim," said Henry, who owns the CrossFit London gym on Bathurst Street. "I feel really good in the fact that I can contribute to making people feel safer in their own neighbourhoods."

Neighbour Elfriede Munroe, who said her vehicle had been burglarized, praised Henry’s vigilance.

"I applaud him, I couldn’t do it," said the retired teacher. "It’s just unnerving to think you have people coming up to your car every night."

It all started on the May long weekend when Henry said he awoke in the middle of the night to hear sounds coming from outside. He stepped out and saw his neighbour’s motion light had been activated. That’s when he noticed a man leaving his backyard.

"So I chased him down barefoot," said Henry, whose wife called police.

On July 17, Henry said his seven-year-old black lab nudged him awake at night. He went downstairs and saw a man in his driveway, watching from inside his house as the man went into his neighbour’s vehicle.

Henry said he snuck up on the man, yanked him from the vehicle and pinned him to the ground until police arrived.

Last Wednesday, Henry said he was up around 4:30 a.m. for work when he observed a woman trying to enter his vehicle in the driveway.

"I went out and she tried to play that she was collecting recycling," said Henry, who held her until police arrived.

Const. Melissa Duncan confirmed London police responded to three suspicious person reports in the area between the May long weekend and Aug. 18.

"In certain situations, citizens have the lawful authority to arrest people and to detain them, but we would obviously want to make sure their safety is the utmost importance," said Duncan, who encourages anyone who sees suspected criminal activity to contact police.

Canadian law allows individuals to perform a citizen’s arrest if they see someone committing a crime, leaving the scene of a crime or are being pursued by police. Those performing a citizen’s arrest are allowed to use as much force as reasonably necessary, but they can be held criminally and civilly liable for using excessive force.

In London, vehicle burglaries, classified as theft valued at less than $5,000, have become a widespread problem. Thieves target unlocked vehicles, stealing electronics, money and other valuables.

Police recorded 121 such incidents between July 24 and Aug. 18, but many of the thefts go unreported. Public warnings are issued when crime analysts detect patterns of vehicle burglaries in neighbourhoods, reminding residents to lock their doors and keep outside lights on.

Henry said he hopes his actions reduce criminal activity on his street, but he doesn’t advise others to follow his lead.

"I have years of martial arts experience," he said. "I’m strong, I’m much larger than the average human being."